In the public transportation environment after Sep. 11, 2001, new airline and other public and private transportation systems are requiring additional situational awareness technologies to mitigate problems caused by unruly passengers and terrorists. In the airline and public transportation industry, cameras are often used both as a deterrent and as a way of providing additional or sometimes advance information warning of a possible problem before it becomes serious.
Placing cameras in public and air transport vehicles involve many difficult decisions. There are needs for both covert and overt cameras, depending on the problems which need to be solved. Also, as the problem changes, so must the surveillance installation and location. On commercial aircraft and public transportation, surveillance cameras must be able to be easily installed, moved, and operated.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for providing a simple, lightweight and reliable camera surveillance system in an aircraft. The present invention addresses such a need.